Somaliland : with the overland route from Addis Ababa via Eastern Ethiopia

Foreword by Simon Reeve. A pioneering guide to one of the world's most obscure travel destinations.

This fully updated second edition continues Bradt's groundbreaking tradition of publishing highly specialist guides to newly emerging destinations. Significantly, it now covers Addis Ababa and eastern Ethiopia—the main gateway into Somaliland—alongside comprehensive coverage of this fascinating region itself.

Somaliland comprises the former British Somaliland, which merged with Italian Somaliland to form the Somali Republic in 1960, but unilaterally seceded in 1991. Now a peaceful and fully functional self-governing democracy, it remains largely uncharted by tourists. Yet this ancient land has much to offer the intrepid traveller, from the stunning rock art of Las Geel to the charmingly decayed Ottoman port of Berbera, the spectacular Daallo Escarpment with its fragrant evergreen forests, and the impressive mediaeval Islamic ruins of Maduna. The guide includes the only proper maps available for Hargeisa and other major towns, compiled from scratch using GPS.

Detailed historical and archaeological sections reveal a region whose wealth of rock art, ancient burial sites, ruined cities and historical ports stretches back 5,000 years, with links to ancient Egypt and Axum as well as the Ottoman and British empires. Comprehensive birdwatching and wildlife sections detail where to find the region's endemic and near-endemic birds and mammals, making this an essential resource for nature enthusiasts exploring the Horn of Africa.